Dawn of Reality
by wildstraydog
Summary: Reality can be painful, and for Jaune Arc, the truth is what hurts the most. He never wanted anyone to know, to keep lying and pretend that everything would be fine. His parents supplemented the coverup, promising that if no one ever knew, he could live a normal life. But when the truth is exposed, Jaune can't bear the consequences... he was a Faunus, and that would never change.


By wildstraydog and dracohalo117

Chapter One: Axiom

Beta: Super Saiyan Cyndaquil

 **Well, this is a surprise isn't it? It was a big decision, but this story will be replacing Man's Best Friend as the Jaune Faunus story. This project came about after I read Axiom by dracohalo117, and the idea and its possibilities couldn't be left alone by me. Because he won't be able to continue the story, I've volunteered with his permission to craft this.**

 **The first chapter will probably bare a little similarities, but a lot will still have changed. The idea from Man's Best Friend and the spirit will still remain, and racism and acceptance will play a major role. Please go check out the original one-shot and his other stories when you get the chance.**

A downpour of rain pattered against the small bathroom window near the toilet, the droplets of water sliding down the glass to create a pleasing sound while Jaune went through his routine. He parted his messy blonde hair and felt for the two bumps atop his head, the protrusions becoming more noticeable after weeks of abandonment. Jaune glanced over at the sink, reaching for the metallic filer that was tinted red from past debacles. The pain would only last a couple of minutes.

The frequency of their growth increased due to his age, leaving him no choice but to perform the act every two weeks. The guilt Jaune held was immense, but his team didn't need to know, things were much simpler that way. He was a Faunus... a red deer to be exact, and for years he had been concealing it from everyone he knew except his family. Jaune never thought anything of it, going through life just accepting the fact that his heritage would remain dormant.

Jaune never believed that his teammates, especially Pyrrha, would ever judge him for being a Faunus. None of them were racists, in fact they were some of the most tolerant people he ever met considering their patience with him. No, keeping it secret would be for the best – the mountain of obstacles in his way didn't need to accumulate. He was actually surprised that no one suspected a thing, but given all of the items his parents provided, not even a Faunus could sniff him out.

The green duffle bag at his feet was filled with an assortment of skin creams and bottles of clear liquid. He used the cream for his antlers, while the drinks when consumed, dampened his senses. Half a bottle a day was sufficient according to his Father, anymore and he could wind up sick – he already did that once and it was very unpleasant. He was able to apply the products every night before he went to bed, while Pyrrha and the others fell asleep.

There were a few close calls, mostly in the shape of a prying Pyrrha, but he always came up with an excuse that satisfied his partner. Lying seemed to be a talent of his, if his fake transcripts were any indication. He couldn't imagine the humiliation that would follow if everyone discovered that he was Faunus. And what would the others say? Given what just happened to Blake, he wouldn't be able to look her in the eye if she found out.

He pressed the file gently against his antlers, and began to scrape it across the nubs, slivers of bone dropping into the drain. Jaune grit his teeth as the slight pain arose, but he continued, learning to ignore it over the years. It was an arduous process that took more than a couple of minutes, but he couldn't risk letting them grow past his hairline. He remembered as a child wincing at the sound of the file grinding near his skull; thankfully his mother would sing to him.

The tune was simple, an old folks song that some of the villagers would sing at night when walking home from the local tavern. The Arc family was renowned as some of the greatest huntsman and huntresses to walk Remnant, and even his village knew their songs of glory on the battlefield. He always strived to become a legend, a hero that others could look up to in a time of need. Yet here he was, lagging behind the rest of his classmates in school.

With the tedious process done, Jaune, rinsed the file under the sink and threw it back into the bag at his feet. He pulled out one of the half-filled bottles and released a sigh, preparing his taste buds for the inevitable. He swallowed the liquid and contorted his face in reaction to the texture, its consistency similar to syrup. As it settled in his stomach, Jaune zipped up the bag and decided to take a shower, tired from the events of the weekend.

Hot water spewed forth from above, relaxing his muscles instantly. Jaune thought back at team RWBY's escapades in the city, and Blake's revelation of her identity; the four girls always seemed to attract trouble, but he never imagined Blake would have once been part of the White Fang. Unknown to his friends however, he knew right away that she was a Faunus, and not because of her weird tendencies – her bright amber eyes were clearly not human eyes.

Ruby nearly begged them to help with their search across Vale, and of course they agreed, but he soon learned that it was a hopeless task. When Blake Belladonna wanted to remain hidden, she would. He couldn't remember how many bookshops they visited that day, but at least he was able to buy a couple of issues of his favorite comic book series. It was only when they searched more did he actually realize how big the capital really was – his village paled in comparison.

Jaune was happy that Ruby and the others came to accept her circumstances, including any past associations she might have shared with the terrorist organization. When Yang first informed his team about everything that happened, he became tempted, wanting to reveal his own secret, but that thought quickly faded. Why change everything that's been established? Things were fine as they were. He needed to concentrate on being a more qualified leader.

Tomorrow would be their last week of school until the semester break started, and he needed all of his energy to complete the upcoming exams. Technically he was supposed to start preparing Saturday, until all of the drama began. At the rate his antlers were growing now, he would need to file them every week – perhaps his parents would know more. Almost no letters had arrived in the six months he attended Beacon, except for two from his sisters, requesting updates on his love life.

Not very well, was the answer.

From the shower, Jaune gazed into the mirror and took in his dripping wet body. He could make out the contours on his muscles, a result from months of diligent training under Pyrrha, but that wasn't what caught his attention. Just above his buttocks, was a fluffy reddish brown tail, the only Faunus trait he could not remove with makeup or specialty drinks. The jeans he wore made it uncomfortable to sit down sometimes.

Instead of wallowing in the dark, Jaune, wrapped a towel around his waist and began to dry off. He reached for the bag and pulled out one of the containers filled with skin-colored makeup, and began to apply it on his worn antlers. It was another hassle to add to the list, mostly because of how expensive some of the creams were – at least it only took a few minutes. Once he was done, he gathered up the bag and entered the pitch black dorm room, sneaking over to his bed.

Pyrrha respected his privacy, so hiding the products away from his team was simple. He threw the bag under his bed and rearranged some of his boxes so that it remained somewhat hidden from prying eyes. Jaune looked at his scroll and saw that it was already eleven o'clock – he took more time than usual, and a yawn escaped. Before slipping under the covers, he cracked opened up the dorm window, the crisp air assaulting his face; the cold air always helped him to sleep.

Under the covers, Jaune tucked his tail to the side and got comfortable, closing his eyes as the sounds of his teammates snoring became apparent. All he needed to do was get through the week, and he would be free for another three months – there was so many video games to catch up on, not to mention a stack of movies to go through. Yes, the semester break was a much needed vacation. A smile graced the blonde's lips as he passed out, and the throbbing pain of his antlers finally vanished.

* * *

The week had passed, and a great wave of relief swept through Jaune as he collapsed onto his bed. His face collided with the brown cotton pillow, and he released a groan of satisfaction that school was temporarily over. Above him, Pyrrha hummed a tune while she messed around with Milo, the sound of gears turning accompanying the chirping birds from outside the window. Jaune realized that with no responsibility to worry about, he couldn't come up with something to do.

Lunch was around the corner, but that sounded boring – maybe they could visit Vale and find a restaurant? He rubbed the bottom of his chin and noticed a trail of hair beginning to rise, though it would be months before it grew into a beard. Jaune grabbed his bag from under the bed and headed for the bathroom, pulling out his razor and shaving cream... and then he noticed two horns poking through his blonde hair. Already it was time to file them down, but he wouldn't be able to for hours.

While Pyrrha was occupied, Jaune, snatched one of his hoodies from the hanger on the back door and flung it on. The hood would be able to cover any sign of the antlers until tonight – usually his friends didn't comment, so he could make it for a couple of hours. The habit of forgetting to keep up appearances was becoming worse, he knew this, and one day it would be too late to hide from the others.

"Jaune," Pyrrha asked, "Are you ok?"

Pyrrha was an amazing partner, but sometimes she coddled him too much. "I'm fine, just shaving in here." At least he wasn't lying, brushing the razor against the stubble. Did Ren have to worry about this?

"So Jaune, we were thinking of heading out to Vale to get some shopping done - how does that sound?" He would love to go, but right now he was far too nervous to risk his antlers popping out on accident.

"Um, I would love to Pyrrha, but I need to catch up on something in the library – I promised Professor Goodwitch, sorry." It was a lousy excuse, but she usually trusted him enough not to question the lie.

"Oh, I see, well, be diligent Jaune, I'm glad you're concentrating on school work much more. I'll grab you something while in Vale." How wonderful of a partner was she? And yet he continued to lie to her face.

"T-thanks, I appreciate it." He set down the razor and scanned his face, rubbing his now clean shaven skin. Since his team would be leaving, it gave him plenty of time to work on his antlers in peace.

"I'll be meeting Ren and Nora outside near the docks, good luck Jaune." Pyrrha gave one last quick wave and shut door, a peerless smile ever present on the champions face as she continued to hum down the hallway.

With everyone gone, Jaune put away his razor and pulled out the file and skin creams. He rinsed the file and disinfected it with alcohol, hoping to get some of the stains out; it was about time to purchase a new one. Jaune titled his head and parted some of his locks, the antlers almost peeking out. Given another day or two and they would have become noticeable, or at least enough that someone would comment. He picked up the file and got to work, taking careful strokes across the bone.

Unbeknown to him, the dorm room clicked open, and Blake let herself in with a puzzled expression. Earlier in the week, Pyrrha, had borrowed a textbook for one of her exams, and now she was back to retrieve it. Pyrrha assured her that it was be ok, as Jaune was staying behind to finish up on some homework for Professor Goodwitch. None of that really mattered, she just needed it back – yet there was no sign of the clumsy leader, until Blake heard a noise from the bathroom.

Jaune's hand slipped, the razor slicing open his forehead. He let out a curse and dropped the blade into the sink, grabbing some paper towels to apply pressure on the cut. The amount of accidents would continue to pile up the antsier he became, but there was a fair amount of time until Pyrrha and the others returned. Blood persisted from his scrape, dripping onto the sink as it mixed with water. The cut was deeper than he expected, it would require a Bandage.

The World froze for him as the bathroom door opened to reveal Blake with a shocked expression. Amber eyes shook as they focused not on his cut, but the partially filed down antlers in plain view for her to see. His mouth was left agape, no words able to describe what he was feeling – Blake Belladonna just discovered his secret, and now all of his friends would know. Perhaps out of some feeble instinct, Jaune wrapped his hoodie atop his head, hiding the antlers from her sight.

Blake took a couple of steps back from the bathroom and shut her mouth, a look of bewilderment overtaking her. Jaune slammed the door shut, hiding from the inevitable confrontation that was about to take place. He knew secluding himself from the outside world was pointless, but at the moment all he could think about were the consequences of his Faunus traits being unveiled. Would the others berate him for lying? There was no way of knowing, only worsening his thoughts.

A light knock sounded from the other side of the door. Seconds passed before the calm stoic voice of Blake Belladonna began to speak. "Jaune... can we talk – I promise not to bombard you with needless questions." He considered the proposal, and decided that if anyone could understand his situation it would be Blake. Perhaps he could even talk her into not telling anyone.

"Alright, I'm coming out." Jaune let out a low sign and threw off the hoodie.

As he opened the door, he took in Blake's concerned gaze, amber eyes trained on his every move. The possibilities of what she was thinking were endless, not that he ever spoke much to Blake before this. Just by having this conversation, Jaune would be speaking for an extended amount of time with the reclusive girl; he knew she liked books and was often the voice of reason on team RWBY besides Weiss, but other than that, she was a total mystery to him.

"Before you even ask... yes, I am a Faunus." Blake nodded, as if it wasn't obvious by the antlers.

"I assume your team doesn't know?" She asked, sitting down on his bed with folded arms. He noticed her long creamy legs cross, only now taking in her slim physique.

"No, they have no idea. I don't think anyone at school does, except maybe for the headmaster, it's kind of hard to lie about that in a physical exam." Students were required to go through physical exams before enrolling into Beacon, and it took a lot of begging for the doctor to not make it public knowledge for the teachers.

"What kind of Faunus are you, a deer? You don't have to answer if you're not comfortable." Her eyes softened, and he found himself more inclined to answer.

"A red deer Faunus – my two traits are the antlers and tail I have. To be honest, I've always known you were a Faunus." Blake flinched at the response, and she titled her head in confusion.

"How did you know?"

A chuckle escaped from his mouth. "You're eyes."

"That's what I don't understand... Jaune, I can't smell your scent. It should be impossible, every Faunus bears a unique trace." Her bow twitched, and she cupped her tiny chin in thought.

"Oh... well, that's because-" he stopped mid-sentence and stole a glance at the green duffle bag in the bathroom, fidgeting as Blake noticed the direction he was staring in.

She walked past Jaune and entered the bathroom, nose scrunching up as a repugnant odor assaulted her. Blake reached into the bag and pulled out one of the bottles filled with the clear liquid that Jaune swallowed. He noticed as her golden eyes shimmered, the irises filled with pain – and then he became distraught as she poured the drink into the sink with a wide grimace.

"B-Blake, what are you doing!?" he rushed ahead and tried to snatch the bag away from Blake, but she pushed him back onto the ground. Looking up, he noticed the glare the once quiet bookworm leveled at him.

"Jaune," she began with a murmur, "Do you know what this?"

Was that a trick question? Of course he knew what it was, well, not specifically what the name was or how it was made – but the effects of the substance weren't beyond him.

"Of course I do, I've been using it for years." Blake's eyes widened in surprise, shaking her head at the notion. He was beginning to feel uneasy; Blake originally said she wouldn't pry too much.

"These drinks, where did you get them? Jaune, this substance was a chemical agent the Faunus developed back in the old war to hide from humans. Don't you realize how harmful taking this can be?" Blake's calm demeanor crumbled as she threw the empty bottle on the tile floor.

"Look, I know what it does, it's just what my parents gave me all these years." Another look of horror flashed across Blake's face.

"Your parents made you take this?"

"My parents," Jaune paused, "Never made me do anything!" he finally snapped.

"Then why are you taking it? It explains why I didn't know. Everything from smell to heightened senses is blocked out - your parents only would have made you take this if they were hiding you from someone." Jaune grit his teeth and averted his gaze.

"You have to understand Blake... our village is quite small, and I was the only Faunus living there. We didn't want to ruffle anyone's feathers, so I hid it." Blake let out a scoff, a look of disbelief present.

Her bow twitched again, and she passed Jaune. "No, I don't understand. Jaune, they didn't want to 'ruffle anyone's feathers'? It means they were ashamed of you. Parents don't hide who their children are." Blake almost whispered at the end.

He almost felt sick at the insinuation that his parents were ashamed. Did she think they were some kind of racists? How could she suggest that his parents would be so cruel? His family loved him, always supporting him when he put his mind to something – well except for Beacon Academy, his parents were never enthusiastic about him becoming a huntsman. Jaune refused to believe that his Mother would ever be disgusted of his Faunus origins. It was all a misunderstanding on Blake's part, nothing more.

"You're wrong Blake, they love me." Blake let out a shallow breath, rubbing her forehead in annoyance.

"I never said they didn't love you... but keeping you hidden, not to mention the practice of self-mutilation? That's wrong." Jaune wasn't one to get angry, he was usually quite passive, ignoring the jeers of strangers and moving on through life without a thought of hatred. But what Blake was saying... it brought upon a fury he never felt before.

No one had ever insulted his family so blatantly, he just couldn't it let stand, even if she was one of Ruby's friends.

"You know nothing of my family!" he began to yell. Blake recoiled at the sudden outburst, genuinely surprised by his displeasure. "All of them love me, I was never treated like a lesser person because of what I am!"

"I... I didn't mean to assume." She hesitated to say.

His thoughts began to run wild with doubt no matter how much he tried to deny it, Blake's suggestions eating away at the back of his mind. Jaune couldn't think straight, the thought of his family abhorring the Faunus race making him nauseous. It couldn't be true, none of his sisters ever called him derogatory names, although they generally teased him from time to time, but that was normal for any siblings.

Although... he could recall a few incidents that made him begin to question Blake's remark.

Why raise him then? None of it made sense, which made Blake's point less believable as he mulled it over. Sure he never attended a preparatory academy, only because his Mother didn't want him to follow in his Father's legacy – there was no correlation about his Faunus traits. So why, did he begin to have so much uncertainty? His hands began to shake and his breath quickened. Jaune, could feel his heart beating faster, the weight of the situation finally bearing down on him all at once.

"Jaune, are you okay?" Blake approached him from behind, gently laying her hands on his shoulders. But he couldn't take the proximity, and swiped at her, throwing her arms off of him as he bolted towards the door.

Everything around him was shut out, his feet taking him further away from Beacon Academy and near the cliffs. Sweat poured down his neck as he brushed past the puzzled students, his secret open for any who witnessed his tirade through the main entrance. At this point he didn't care, by tomorrow everyone would know he was a Faunus. The looks of disgust would become norm, his life changing forever in but a few seconds - this wasn't the first time he ran from his problems.

He collapsed on his knees, catching his breath as the familiar sound of running water filled his ears. Jaune looked up and spotted the fountain located in the central courtyard, thankfully no one was around. He sat up and splashed some cold water on his face, the soothing temperature calming him down. Blake had not followed him, which was probably for the best, he needed to be alone. Jaune peered into the water and saw his reflection. The antlers were still not visible from afar, and unless someone approached him, he would be ok.

The pain from his antlers began to surface, an accompanying headache as well. What was he even doing? Maybe Blake was right, perhaps it was time to reveal everything to Pyrrha and his friends. Surely they would accept him, no questions asked, but it was the potential fallout that frightened him. His parents knew this, and that was why he hid from society for so long... and the amount of White Fang attacks were also rising.

Why did life have to be so complicated?

Jaune made his way over to the garden, which was mostly populated by roses and tulips, swaying against a gentle summer breeze. A small wooden arch that was overcome by vines sat in the back near a rusted bench – the area was so quaint compared to the lavish architecture of Beacon Academy. He sat on the ground and took in the smell, the musk fragrance of the petals putting him at ease. The peaceful scenery caused him to become drowsy, and he decided to lie down, forgetting about the major worries that plagued him.

* * *

Blake was dealing with an enormous amount of conflicting emotions, torn between what she preached to Jaune and the murky truth of his childhood. She honestly could say she had never dealt with a situation so complicated before, as most Faunus in hiding were forced to do so, while Jaune... it became more of a habit that was ingrained. And yet that still didn't minimalize the fact that Jaune Arc is a Faunus.

This was something she almost never expected, a secret so well hidden that it caught her by surprise. Though it was obvious that Jaune didn't even care that it remained a secret for so long. She would be the first to admit that her approach was not the wisest, allowing her emotions to cloud her judgment during the conversation. But it sickened her to see Jaune go through a routine that inflicted pain and psychological damage. How could his parents put him through that?

And then there was question of what she should do... making the boy run away wasn't the best of choices. She would have to apologize, it was obvious the mention of his family was a boiling point. The first problem was finding him, especially since his scent was essentially masked, though she could narrow the likely places he would go – which left only one possibility, the Beacon Garden. The garden was located near the back of the school, and was rarely visited, which made it a prime spot to read.

Her approach this time would have to be more sensitive to what he was going through. Jaune was just now experiencing the maturity of a Faunus, an act that all of her kind went through in their teenage years. She learned most of this when she was younger, but Jaune would be at a disadvantage, trying to adjust to changes he wasn't prepared for.

Sure enough, Blake found Jaune lying on a bed of flowers asleep. She could see his chest rising up and down in a rhythmic motion, and within his blonde hair she could make out the little antlers budding. With a sigh, Blake, sat down opposite of him, taking in the aroma of the flowers around her. While she would have liked to relax, Jaune needed tending to, and she began to shake him.

Ocean blue eyes fluttered open, and a yawn escaped as he rubbed his groggy eyes. "Blake, so you found me huh?" He carried a dejected look.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have presumed so much." A smile emerged on his face, and he stood up, brushing off petals that stuck to his jeans.

"Its ok, I'm just, a little rattled by all this."

"Forgive me for saying this... but don't you think you should stop hiding? There has to come a time where you let the others know." A sigh escaped from Jaune, and he began to rub the back of his neck.

"I... I don't know – why don't you take off your bow?" How could she answer that? She was a little stunned by the question, but Jaune had a right to know. In hindsight, it wasn't fair of her to ask Jaune to tell the truth and expose himself, when she herself still hid under the bow.

"Because I don't wish to be treated differently because of my race," she curtly responded, "However that might not be the best decision I've ever made." She darted her eyes back and forth, making sure that no one was spying on them.

She grasped the bow, and undid the knot, her cat-like ears flopping up. "Just to let you know, not many people have seen me like this." Jaune stared in amazement, his mouth agape. Blake blushed a little at his staring, and could only wonder what his antlers would be like fully grown.

"Look, I know my friends will accept, I mean they deal with how lousy of a fighter I am to begin with – but I'm scared... afraid to see what the world will be like as a Faunus." She heard Jaune's voice crack a little, and began to sympathize with his viewpoint.

"I won't lie, the world is ruthless, but if you don't embrace who you are, you'll never truly experience life." She placed a hand on his shoulder, catching a glimpse of a tear rolling down his cheek. Jaune could love his parents all he wanted, but he should never have endured so much pain.

"Will you," Jaune sniffled, "Blake, will you help me tell them? I don't know what to do if everyone doesn't accept me." She nodded, not doubting for a second that her teammates and his would be open to his origins.

The bumbling klutz she knew as Jaune Arc began to cry, leaning against her as the tears flowed. Blake wasn't one to comfort many people, so she did the only thing that felt instinctively right – she hugged him. Years of holding in the truth had taken a burden on Jaune, but now that he was willing to tell everyone, Blake saw no reason she couldn't help. Her fears of the White Fang and Roman Torchwick dissipated, and were replaced with the sorrows Jaune experienced throughout his life.

In their embrace, Blake's hands brushed against the protrusions atop his head. This was what she wanted to change, for her people not to hide in the shadows because of their differences, but to be accepted in broad daylight as another human being. She was only glad Adam wasn't here to see this, for it would only fuel the blaze of hatred he carried for humanity.

"Don't worry, it's okay to cry." She murmured. Jaune never answered, silence filling the garden as another breeze passed through.

The truth always hurts the most.


End file.
